Professor Stephanie Lawson

Professor Stephanie Lawson
Macquarie University, Australia & and University of East Anglia, UK

Asia/Europe and the Construction of Regional Governance

Abstract:

This paper examines aspects of regional identity formation in the Asia-Pacific, and some of the implications for regional governance. Since the relational aspects of identity in this broad region very often involve a contrasting image of ‘the West, it is essential to consider this aspect of identity formation as well. This is illuminated through an account of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process in which ‘Asia’ is posited in contrast with ‘Europe’ – the latter representing the original heartland of what is today understood as ‘the West’. The paper will also consider recent developments in ASEAN as it attempts to achieve deeper regional integration, paying particular attention to the norms and values highlighted in the declaration on the ASEAN Charter. More generally, the paper illustrates how ideas about ‘cultural values’ remain a key feature of the broader dynamics of politics in the region in general, and the construction of regional governance in particular.

Biographical note:

Professor Stephanie Lawson has held teaching and research positions at the University of New England, the Australian National University, the University of East Anglia and Macquarie University. Her research interests, which deal with issues concerning culture, nationalism and democracy, combine comparative and normative approaches to the study of world politics. She has written numerous articles dealing with these issues in the Asia-Pacific region and is the author or editor of seven books, including The Failure of Democratic Politics in Fiji (Clarendon Press, 1991), The New Agenda for Global Security (Allen & Unwin, 1995), Tradition Versus Democracy in the South Pacific: Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa (Cambridge University Press 1996), The New Agenda For International Relations: From Polarization to Globalization in World Politics? (Polity Press, 2002); Europe and the Asia-Pacific: Culture, Identity and Representations of Region (RoutledgeCurzon, 2002), International Relations (Polity Press, 2003), and Culture and Context in World Politics (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).

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